Just like people, all dogs and including Labrador Retrievers have different learning speeds and abilities. Some dogs learn quickly, some slowly, depending on many factors including the degree of difficulty in the behaviour you are teaching them. Learning speed is not necessarily an indication of intelligence.

Spend time with your pup and watch how they learn and develop.

10 minutes a day is sufficient to establish a “reward marker” and a training program. With an 8week old puppy, I train for 5 minutes, 3 times/feeds a day. If necessary, I use high value treats.

Distraction is the most obvious difficulty you will encounter as you commence training your puppy. Watch for willingness to work with you.

Watch for stubbornness.

Watch for sensitivities.

And you should identify your dogs response to food / treat rewards after a behavior. Get to know their personality and their food drive.

There will be times when it seems like you dog is learning very little, even going backwards. This is quite normal. Take your pup back a stage or two. And continue to be consistent.

There will be times when your dog will be distracted. It will seem like they have decided not to obey. Of course, this is not so. Don’t get frustrated and certainly don’t be cruel.

Redirect the attention of your labrador puppy back to you with a high value retreat. If you are training in a place with distraction, go to an isolated environment.

Even smart dogs like Labradors can encounter difficulties which slow their learning.

Remember we are always training, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 52 weeks a year. New behaviors need repeating many times to become a habit. I always repeat a particular training behaviour 20 times.

In your normal day to day life, always stay consistent with your commands, even when you are not formally training. Everything you do & every word you speak to you dog is teaching them how to behave and the expectations you have.